Gary Richards has left his position as head coach of the Swansea City U23's with immediate effect.

It comes less than a week after Cameron Toshack left his role as joint-head coach at Swansea with Richards, and Toshack has since been named manager of struggling Cypriot first division team Pafos - it's widely expected that Richards will join him there.

After working with the development squad for the last four years, Swansea City chairman Trevor Birch said on Richard's time at the club:

“Everyone at Swansea City would like to thank Gary for his fantastic service to the club over the years and wish him well for the future.”

Richards was once a player for the Swans - he himself graduated through the club's youth academy and signed his first professional contract for the club in 1981, where he made 84 appearances in total.

His footballing career has spanned over a number of decades and has seen him play for the likes of Swedish side Jankopings Sodra as well as Lincoln City, Cambridge United, Newport County and more.

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He previously worked as lead coach of Swansea's youth development programme in 2011 before joining Toshack and the U23's in 2015.

The verdict

Swansea have a fine development squad and in the space of a week, they've lost both the men responsible for that team.

It's not ideal for the Swans but these things happen in football, and first-team boss Steve Cooper can't let it affect his side as they look to regain a top-six spot in the Championship.